Known as the artist who "bridged the gap," Warwick's soulful blend of pop, gospel and R&B music transcended racial, cultural, national, and musical boundaries.
Throughout the 1980's and 1990's, Warwick collaborated with many of her musical peers, including Johnny Mathis, Smokey Robinson, Luther Vandross, Jeffrey Osbourne, Kashif and Stevie Wonder. Warwick was also host of the hit television music show, "Solid Gold." In addition, she recorded several theme songs, including "Champagne Wishes & Caviar Dreams," for the popular television series "Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous," and "The Love Boat," for the hit series from Aaron Spelling. More recently, Warwick recorded her first Christmas album entitled "My Favorite Time of the Year" featured jazzy interpretations of many holiday classics. In 2007, Rhino Records re-released the CD with new cover art, a critically acclaimed Gospel album, "Why We Sing," for Rhino/Warner Records, and a new jazz album, "Only Trust Your Heart," a collection of standards, celebrating the music of legendary composer Sammy Cahn for Sony Red/MPCA Records.
Dionne Warwick has won 5 Grammy Awards during her music career:
• 1969: "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance" for the single, "Do You Know the Way to San Jose?"
• 1971: "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance" for the single, "I'll Never Fall in Love Again"
• 1979: "Best Female R&B Vocal Performance" for the single, "Déjà Vu"
• 1979: "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance" for the single, "I'll Never Love This Way Again"
• 1986: "Best Pop Performance By a Duo or Group With Vocal" for the single, "That's What Friends Are For"
Dionne Warwick was born in a musical family of which numerous superstars arose.
Warwick's sister Dee Dee Warwick had a successful singing career, Warwick's aunt is gospel singer Cissy Houston, and one of Warwick's cousins is Whitney Houston.
This Empty Place
Dionne Warwick Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When I'm walking down the street
That's the place where you used to walk
The place where you held my hand
Now I reach and all I touch is this
An empty, empty place
Sadness and tears, that's all you left me
Of a love that once was, oh, so very great
The greatest love, reaching all the way to the stars above
But now there's not a star left in the sky
And if you don't come back to me I'll die
Only your embrace can fill this empty place
If I don't fill this emptiness
I know that I'll lose my mind
Looking out and only seeing space
An empty, empty place
Ah, sadness and tears, that's all you left me
They're such bad, bad souvenirs
Of a love that once was, oh, so very great
The greatest love, reaching all the way to the stars above
But now there's not a star left in the sky
And if you don't come back to me I'll die
Only your embrace can fill this empty place
Come back, come back, come back to me
Come back and fill my empty arms
I need your loving, darling
Your lips are loving, darling
Come back, come back, come back to me
Oh, come back and fill my empty arms
I need your loving, darling
Your lips are loving, darling
Come back, come back, come back to me
The lyrics to Dionne Warwick's song, This Empty Place, depict the pain and anguish of loss in love. The song describes an empty space beside the singer when she walks down the street, a space previously occupied by her lover. The space is symbolic of the emptiness that the loss of love brings. The singer reaches out, hoping to touch her lover, only to find that she is left with nothing but an empty, hollow space.
The chorus of the song reveals the depth of the singer's pain. She sings that only her lover's embrace can fill the empty space that now resides within her. She is desperate for her lover to return, as she fears that if she cannot fill this emptiness, she will lose her mind.
The lyrics of This Empty Place emphasize the profound pain of lost love. The song captures the sense of longing and desperation that can come with a broken heart. At its core, the song is about the deep human need for connection, and the ways in which we struggle when that connection is lost.
Line by Line Meaning
There's an empty place beside me
I feel a physical void by my side since you're no longer with me
When I'm walking down the street
Even the simple act of walking down the street reminds me of your absence
That's the place where you used to walk
I miss your presence and the comfort of your company
The place where you held my hand
I long to feel the warmth and security of your touch
Now I reach and all I touch is this
When I reach out, all I feel is emptiness and loneliness
An empty, empty place
The space beside me is now completely void of your love and presence
Sadness and tears, that's all you left me
The only things that remain from our past are feelings of sorrow and tears
They're such bad souvenirs
These emotions are not pleasant, and they're not something I want to remember fondly
Of a love that once was, oh, so very great
We used to have a love that was amazing and powerful
The greatest love, reaching all the way to the stars above
Our love used to feel limitless, like it could reach the heavens
But now there's not a star left in the sky
My world has been shattered, and I feel like everything good has disappeared
And if you don't come back to me, I'll die
Without you, I don't feel like I can go on living
Only your embrace can fill this empty place
I need your loving arms around me to fill the void and make me feel whole again
If I don't fill this emptiness
If I can't find a way to get over you and move on, that emptiness will consume me
I know that I'll lose my mind
My thoughts are consumed by you, and I can't escape the pain and memories
Looking out and only seeing space
My vision of the future is bleak and empty without you, and I can't see anything else
Ah, sadness and tears, that's all you left me
You hurt me deeply, and all I have to show for it are feelings of sadness and tears
They're such bad, bad souvenirs
These feelings are like painful reminders of what we used to have
Come back, come back, come back to me
I want you to return to me more than anything in the world
Come back and fill my empty arms
Please give me the comfort I so desperately need by holding me once again
I need your loving, darling
I yearn for your love and affection to make me feel whole again
Your lips are loving, darling
I need your kisses and affection to fill me with joy and warmth once more
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Downtown Music Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Burt Bacharach, Hal David
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Aline Dowd
on I Cry Alone
Brings back oh so many memories.